What really is virtual reality

Review of Virtual reality(VR)

Virtual reality comes, naturally, from the definition of virtual and reality. The definition of ‘virtual’ is close and reality is what we see and live as human beings. So the term ‘VR’ basically means ‘near-reality’. This could, of course, mean anything but it usually refers to a specific type of reality emulation.

Virtual reality is the latest order of the day in our world today. Various machines built today are built as a result of this concept virtual reality fused inside Artificial intelligence.

Am a gamer I love to play games and so far the best if the games came as a result of virtual reality, which is life itself. Recently it was reported that facebook wanted to adopt the idea of virtual reality to enable users get more enjoyment as they use facebook. World powers have adopted virtual reality and incorporated this into their backbone.

Everything that we know about our reality comes by way of our senses. In other words, our entire experience of reality is simply a combination of sensory information and our brains sense-making mechanisms for that information. It stands to reason then, that if you can present your senses with made-up information, your perception of reality would also change in response to it. Something we would refer to as a virtual reality.

So, in summary, virtual reality entails presenting our senses with a computer generated virtual environment that we can explore in some fashion.

How can VR be exposed?

Although we talk about a few historical early forms of virtual reality elsewhere on the site, today virtual reality is usually implemented using computer technology. There are a range of systems that are used for this purpose, such as headsets, omni-directional treadmills and special gloves. These are used to actually stimulate our senses together in order to create the illusion of reality.

If anything is even a little off we can usually tell. These issues that divide convincing or enjoyable virtual reality experiences from jarring or unpleasant ones are partly technical and partly conceptual. Virtual reality technology needs to take our physiology into account. For example, the human visual field does not look like a video frame. Similarly when what your eyes and the vestibular system in your ears tell you are in conflict it can cause motion sickness. Which is what happens to some people on boats or when they read while in a car.

If an implementation of virtual reality manages to get the combination of hardware, software and sensory synchronicity just right it achieves something known as asense of presence, appearance, visualization. Where the subject really feels like they are present in that environment.

Why has VR come?

This may seems like a lot of effort, and it is! What makes the development of virtual reality worthwhile? The potential entertainment value is clear. Immersive films is a good example. The entertainment industry is after all a multi-billion dollar one and consumers are always keen on novelty.

There are a wide variety of presence of VR which includes:

Architecture

Sport

Medicine

The Arts

Entertainment

Politics

Gaming

VR can lead to new and exciting discoveries in these areas which impact upon our day to day lives.

Wherever it is too dangerous, expensive or impractical to do something in reality, virtual reality is the answer. VR and its cousin augmented reality could substantively change the way we interface with our digital technologies. Continuing the trend of humanising our technology.

Features of VR

VR can be felt in Three dimension and even the latest Four dimension reality.

Plus they change as the person moves around their environment which corresponds with the change in their field of vision. The aim is for a seamless join between the person’s head and eye movements and the appropriate response, e.g. change in perception. This ensures that the VR environment is both realistic and enjoyable.

A VR environment should provide the appropriate responses – in real time- as the person explores their surroundings. The problems arise when there is a delay between the person’s actions and system response or latency which then disrupts their experience. The person becomes aware that they are in an artificial environment and adjusts their behaviour accordingly which results in a stilted, mechanical form of interaction.

The aim is for a natural, free-flowing form of interaction which will result in a memorable experience.